A57976:268
A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbytery in Scotland, or, A modest and…A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbyterie in Scotland, or, A modest and…
A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbytery in Scotland, or, A modest and brotherly dispute of the government of the Church of Scotland wherein our discipline is demonstrated to be the true apostolic way of divine truth, and the arguments on the contrary are friendly dissolved, the grounds of separation and the independency [sic] of particular congregations, in defence of ecclesiastical presbyteries, synods, and assemblies, are examined and tried / by Samuel Rutherfurd ...A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbyterie in Scotland, or, A modest and brotherly dispute of the government of the Church of Scotland wherein our discipline is demonstrated to be the true apostolick way of divine truth, and the arguments on the contrary are friendly dissolved, the grounds of separation and the indepencie [sic] of particular congregations, in defence of ecclesiasticall presbyteries, synods, and assemblies, are examined and tryed / by Samuell Rutherfurd ...
London: printed for John Bartlet, 1642London: printed for Iohn Bartlet, 1642
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The Separation doth complain that in our Church are (as Ainsworth saith) swarms of Atheists, 1Idolaters, Papists, erroneous and heretical sectaries, witches, charmers, sorcerers, 2thieves, adulterers, liars, &c. The Gentiles enter unto the temple of God, the holy things of God, the Sacraments indifferently communicated with clean and unclean, circumcised and uncircumcised: And amongst you are thousands who cannot tell how they shall be saved. So say others, as M. Barrow and Smith. Hence infer they our Church is a false Church, not right constitute, no Spouse of Christ, no royal generation, not a people who hath Christ for King, Priest, and Prophet. We on the contrary hold this as our fourth conclusion, That howbeit openly and grossly profane wicked persons, as known atheists, and mockers of Religion, Idolaters, papists, heretics, sorcerers, witches, thieves, adulterers, &c. are not to be kept in the Church; but to be excommunicated, nor yet to be received into the Church as members thereof, until they give evidences of their repentance: Yet we say that there is nothing required more as touching the essential properties, and nature of being members of a Church, as visible; but that they profess before men the faith, and desire the seals of the Covenant, and crave fellowship with the visible Church, which I prove:
The Separation doth complaine that in our Church are (as Ainsworth saith) swarmes of Atheists, 1Idolaters, Papists, erronious and hereticall sectaries, witches, charmers, sorcerers, 2theeves, adulterers, lyars, &c. The Gentiles enter unto the temple of God, the holy things of God, the Sacraments indifferently communicated with cleane and uncleane, circumcised and uncircumcised: And amongst you are thousands who cannot tell how they shall be saved. So say others, as M. Barrow and Smith. Hence inferre they our Church is a false Church, not right constitute, no Spouse of Christ, no royall generation, not a people who hath Christ for King, Priest, and Prophet. We on the contrary hold this as our fourth conclusion, That howbeit openly and grossely prophane wicked persons, as knowne atheists, and mockers of Religion, Idolaters, papists, heretickes, sorcerers, witches, theeves, adulterers, &c. are not to be keeped in the Church; but to be excommunicated, nor yet to be received into the Church as members thereof, untill they give evidences of their repentance: Yet we say that there is nothing required more as touching the essentiall properties, and nature of being members of a Church, as visible; but that they professe before men the faith, and desire the seales of the Covenant, and crave fellowship with the visible Church, which I prove: